Ambika on Jaina Art and Literature

SR No.: 002006
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Maruti Nandan Prasad Tiwari
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith
Publication Year: 1989
Total Pages: 184
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Art, & Literature
File Size: 15 MB

Page 125

somewhat elongated face and beautiful turban like headdress are particularly interesting. P.B. Desai has published several of the figures of Ambika from south India.' Anandamangalam (near Kanchi) has yielded an image of Neminatha wherein two-armed Ambika standing with her lion mount is carved as the Yakṣi. She holds some indistinct object in her right hand while the left hand is placed on the head of her child. An independent figure of two-armed Ambika is found from Kalugumalai (Koilpatti taluk, Dist. Tinnevelly). The image, belonging to 10th-11th century A.D., shows two-armed Ambika as standing and holding amra-lumbi in left hand while her right hand is placed on the head of a female child, instead of the son or even the attendent. However, both of her sons stand on left. Another image of about ninth-10th century A.D. is found from the hill of the charaṇas in Travancore state. The two-armed Ambikā stands with right hand in the varada-mudra and left hand hanging. The lion is carved on right while her both the sons stand on her left.
One of her images, procured from Venguṇram (north Arcot), shows the two-armed Ambika (Fig. 60) with amra-lumbi and varada-mudra. The image, belonging to 12th century A.D., also shows lion and both of her sons near the feet. One of her bronze images, belonging to 13th century A.D., is known from Singanikuppam (presently in the Govt. Museum, Madras, Acc. No. 321/57). The two-armed goddess stands gracefully in tribhanga on padmasana with her left hand kept on the head of a garland-bearing maid (ceti). The small figure of her son (nude) stands on right.2 Another bronze figure of Ambika, fairly late, is found in the temple at Tirupparuttikkuṇram.3 The two-armed Yakṣi stands on lotus and holds lotus bud in right hand while the left hand is hanging down. There appears a tiny figure of her Jina Neminatha on her jaṭāmukuta. Another identical figure is found again from Tirupparuttikkuṇram. The wall paintins from this place, also called Jina-Kanchi, show four-armed Ambika in Padmasana and holding goad and noose in her upper hands while the lower hands show the abhaya and the varada-mudrā.
The Jainas of Tantric traditions also invoked Ambika. One of such instances is that of Akalanka who is alleged to have vanquished his Buddhist opponents with the aid of Kūṣmaṇḍinī, another appellation of Ambikā. A number of figures of Ambika are found from different places in Karnataka. A two-armed figure from village Bankur
Ambika 111